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Moulting Piggie

Melly78

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Messages
80
Reaction score
213
Points
250
Location
Basingstoke
Hi all, has anyone else’s piggy suddenly started moulting after the hot weather we’ve just had?

I stroked my 4 year old pig and my hand was covered in fur. She had been running around in a light shower, so maybe it made it seem worse. I’ll check for any mites tomorrow.

Thanks, Mel
 
I don't think mine has changed in her usual pile of white fluff, but maybe I haven't noticed. After her first winter my piggies started to molt quite a lot but I'm not sure.

I also can brush off quite a lot of fur with one stroke so I don't think it's anything to worry about but I believe that if you notice dandruff, your piggie may need to get their diet checked to see if their missing nutrients (I believe it was brought up by my vet once).
I don't have experience with mites but I'd imagine there are some key symptoms to look for.
 
I have found a lot more hair than normal on the fleece in my boys hutch!

You won’t be able to see mites themselves (they aren’t visible) but you may see evidence such as bald spots, sore skin, excessive scratching, or mite egg casings.
 
Yes! When I got the girls out for their cage clean today I had a whole bunch of Buttons‘ fur in my hand. Glad to see mine‘s not the only one, almost got me worried today!
 
I guess they are shedding because of the weather? Where I live there have been a few heat waves in the last couple of weeks.
 
I don't know if any of mine are shedding at the moment, but I noticed last year when I had to take Winifred to the vet to have a lump looked at, that a fair amount of hair came off when I stroked her. The vet said that they can shed somewhat when stressed.
 
I don't know if any of mine are shedding at the moment, but I noticed last year when I had to take Winifred to the vet to have a lump looked at, that a fair amount of hair came off when I stroked her. The vet said that they can shed somewhat when stressed.
That happened to my Popi, especially around nail clipping
 
Hi all, has anyone else’s piggy suddenly started moulting after the hot weather we’ve just had?

I stroked my 4 year old pig and my hand was covered in fur. She had been running around in a light shower, so maybe it made it seem worse. I’ll check for any mites tomorrow.

Thanks, Mel

Hi!

Mange mites, hay mites or fungal skin infections cause balding in areas. We talk about moulting when the hair loss is all over the body without causing any bare skin patches.

Moulting is often seasonal and can be a reaction to massive changes in temperature like a heatwave. Not all piggies moult; this differs quite massively individually. Guinea pigs can also shed hair massively if they are very stressed for some reason as a one-off.

Here is our comprehensive hot weather and heat stroke information: Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
 
My pigs go through periods when they shed enormously! Just... fur everywhere, how can a small animal produce so much fur? So it may very well be normal and related to the weather or just some random reason. That said, if you piggie is scratching or shows balding or thinning areas, it's worth a vet check to rule out mites, fungal infections, hormone problems, etc.
 
Thanks everyone for you replies. We moved to a new house 3 weeks ago and there are still building works going on (some make quite a bit of noise), so it could be a combination of that and the heat that have stressed her. I’ve been bringing them in on the hot days, but it was still too hot!

I’ll have a proper look in a bit, I’ve got some anti mite drops, so I’ll treat her if I find anything suspicious. It did look like over all hair loss. The only other time I had a pig with bald patches was when she has ovarian cyst :(
I’m just glad it’s cooler for them now, mine were just flopping themselves on the floor.

x
 
Thanks everyone for you replies. We moved to a new house 3 weeks ago and there are still building works going on (some make quite a bit of noise), so it could be a combination of that and the heat that have stressed her. I’ve been bringing them in on the hot days, but it was still too hot!

I’ll have a proper look in a bit, I’ve got some anti mite drops, so I’ll treat her if I find anything suspicious. It did look like over all hair loss. The only other time I had a pig with bald patches was when she has ovarian cyst :(
I’m just glad it’s cooler for them now, mine were just flopping themselves on the floor.

x

If you were to suspect mites, please do not treat with drops you have bought yourself from a pet shop. You must always go to a vet for diagnosis and get the correct prescription strength treatment. Anti mite drops from pet shops are not good enough, they aren’t prescription strength, they are too weak to kill the mites, they lead to medication resistance and will make the problem worse as you then delay getting vet treatment. You also cannot diagnose mites yourself, only a vet can do so. There are other types of skin condition which can cause itching, baldness etc and which require different treatment so without a vet checking them you don’t know that you are treating for the right thing
 
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